LIBRARY 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 


Class 


EVENTFUL   EXPEDITION 


SAL  AH3SSCA 


C>  RESULTING  IN  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  IDOLATROUS  CITY 


-^ion:  ^vjand 

<p(jffiMARKABLE  AZTEC  CHILDREN, 

^(Descendants    and    Specimens    of  the    Sacerdotal    Caste,    (now  iP 

Cj         nearly  extinct,)  of  the  Ancient  Aztec  Founders  of  the          O 

<^~"\  Ruined  Temples  of  that  Country, 


JOHN   L.   STEVENS,   ESQ., 

AND  OTHER  TRAVELLERS. 


SEW  YOU: 

^/     v_> 

E  F.  Ippkpte,  Friater,  111  Nassin  Street 


S^SvSvSyS^SvS^v; 


/  -i.  \  ^^  -^  \j  /.j5,,   '• .  -  -  - ''  — -^  -•  L  ^UMI  ui/^ 
^  V^V  \^/  v^  V^  V^/  V£ 


EYENTEUL   EXPEDITION 


O  RESULTING  IN  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  IDOLATROUS  CITY 


)\  jREMARKABLE  AZTEC  CHILDREN 


) )       (j         nearly  extinct,)  of  the  Ancient  Aztec  Founders  of  the 


Ruined  Temples  of  that  Country 


JOHN   L.   STEVENS,   ES 

AND  OTHER  TRAVELLERS. 


PEDRO  iVELASQUEZ 

-- — "^T^^^"*"'""'- 

OF  SAN    SALVADOR 
/? 


E.  P.  Applegate,  Printer,  111  Nassai  Btnet 

1850.^ 

o- 
(S^^^^j 


1    ^  L  L^I  \Y :^-      ;  -  M  --  \  •  '•-.->  -  ^    'I "-    v  —  \  f j  ^- 

^A^^WWV^Wt&yv^Jtb 


PROFILE    ILLUSTRATIONS 


FROM 


CENTRAL  AMERICAN  RUINS, 


OF 


ANCIENT  RACES  STILL  EXISTING 
IN    IXIMAYA, 


The  above  three  figures,  sketched  from  engravings  in  "  Stevens' s  Central 
America,"  will  be  found,  on  personal  comparison,  to  bear  a  remarkable  and 
convincing  resemblance,  both  in  the  general  features  and  the  position  of  tlie 
head,to  the  two  living  Aztec  children,  now  exhibiting  in  the  United  States, 
of  the  ancient  sacerdotal  caste  of  Kaanas,  or  Pagan  Mimes,  of  which  a  few 
individuals  remain  in  the  newly  discovered  city  of  Iximaya.  See,  the  follow 
ing  Memoir,  page  31. 


These  two  figures,  sketched  from  the  same  work,  are  snid,  by  Senor  Ve 
lasquez,  in  the  unpublished  portion  of  his  narrative,  to  be  "  irresistible  like 
nesses"  of  the  equally  exclusive  but  somewhat  more  numerous  priestly  caste 


218570 


cf  J\fahaboons,  still  existing  in  that  city,  and  to  which  belonged  Vaafpeor,  iw 
official  guardian  of  those  children,  as  mentioned  in  this  memoir.  Velasquez 
states  that  the  likeness  of  Vaalpeor  to  the  right  hand  figure  in  the  frontispiece 
of  Stevens'  second  volume,  which  is  here  also  the  one  on  the  right  hand,  was 
as  exact,  in  outline,  as  if  the  latter  had  been  a  daguerreotype  miniature. 

While  writing  his  "Narrative"  after  his  return  to  San  Salvador,  in  the 
spring  of  the  present  year,  (1850,)  Senor  Velasquez  was  favored,  by  an  Ame 
rican  gentleman  of  that  city,  with  a  copy  of  "  Layard's  Nineveh,"  and  was 
forcibly  struck  with  the  close  characteristic  resemblance  of  the  faces  in  many 
of  its  engravings  to  those  of  the  inhabitants  in  general,  as  a  peculiar  family 
of  mankind,  both  of  Iximaya  and  its  surrounding  region.  The  following  are 
sketches,  ^somewhat  imperfect,)  of  two  of  the  male  faces  to  which  he  refers  : 


And  the  following  profile,  from  the  same  work,  is  pronounced  by  Velasquez 
to  be  equally  characteristic  of  the  female  faces  of  that  region,  making  due  allow 
ance  for  the  superb  head  dresses  of  tropical  plumage,  with  which  lie  describes 
the  latter  as  being  adorned,  instead  of  the  male  galea,  or  close  cap,  retained 
in  the  engraving. 


These  illustrations,  slight  as  they  are,  are  deemed  interesting,  because  the 
Iximayans  assert  their  descent  from  a  very  ancient  Assyrian  colony  nearly  co- 
temporary  with  Nineveh  itself — a  claim  which  receives  strong  confirmation, 
not  only  from  the  hieroglyphics  and  monuments  of  Iximaya,  but  from  !he 
engravings  in  Stevens'  volumes  of  several  remarkable  objects,  (the  inverted 
winged  globe  especially,)  at  Palenque — once  a  kindred  colony. 

It  should  have  been  stated  in  (he  following  Memoir,  that  Senor  Velasquez, 
«>n  his  return  to  San  Salvador,  caused  the  two  Kaana  children  to  be  baptized 
into  the  Catholic  Church,  by  the  Bishop  of  the  Diocess,  under  the  names  of 
Maximo  and  Bartola  Velasquez. 


MEMOIR 


OF    A    RECEN1 


EYENTFUL  EXPEDITION 

CENTRAL  AMERICA. 


IN  the  second  volume  of  his  travels  in  Central  America — than 
which  no  work  ever  published  in  this  country,  has  created  and 
maintained  a  higher  degree  of  interest,  both  at  home  and  abroad — 
Mr.  Stevens  speaks  with  enthusiasm  of  the  conversations  he 
had  held  with  an  intelligent  and  hospitable  Padre,  or  Catholic 
priest,  of  Santa  Cruz  del  Quiche,  formerly  of  the  village  of  Cha- 
jul  ;  and  of  the  exciting  information  he  had  received  from  him, 
concerning  immense  and  marvellous  antiquities  in  the  surround 
ing  country,  which,  to  the  present  hour,  remain  entirely  unknown 
to  the  world.  The  Padre  told  him  of  vast  ruins,  in  a  deserted 
and  desolate  region,  but  four  leagues  from  Vera  Paz,  more  ex 
tensive  than  Quiche  itself;  and  of  another  ruined  city,  on  the  other 
side  of  the  great  traversing  range  of  the  Cordilleras,  of  which 
no  account  has  been  given.  But  the  most  stimulating  story  of  all, 
was  the  existence  of  a  living  city,  far  on  the  other  side  of  the  great 
sierra,  large  and  populous,  occupied  by  Indians  of  the  same  cha 
racter,  and  in  precisely  the  same  state,  as  those  of  the  country 
in  general,  before  the  discovery  of  the  continent  and  the  desola 
ting  conquests  of  its  invaders. 

The  Padre  averred  that,  in  younger  days,  he  had  climbed  to 
the  topmost  ridge  of  the  seirra,  a  height  of  10  or  12,000  feeb 
and  from  its  naked  summit,  looking  over  an  immense  plain,  ex 
tending  to  Yucatan  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  had  seen,  with  his 
own  eye|,  in  the  remote  distance,  "  a  large  city,  spread  over  a 
great  space,  with  turrets  white  and  glittering  in  the  sun."  His 


.Vit/tX^O  6 

account  of  the  prevalent  Indian  report  concerning  it  was,  that  no 
white  man  had  ever  reached  that  city  ;  that  the  inhabitants,  who 
speak  the  Maya  language,  are  aware  that  a  race  of  white  stran 
gers  has  conquered  the  whole  country  around  them,  and  have 
hence  murdered  every  white  man  that  has  since  attcmped  to 
penetrate  their  territory.  He  added  that  they  have  no  coin  or 
other  circulating  medium  ;  no  horses,  mules,  or  other  domestic 
animals,  except  fowls,  "  and  keep  the  cocks  under  ground  to 
prevent  their  crowing  being  heard."  This  report  of  their  slen 
der  resources  for  animal  food,  and  of  their  perpetual  apprehension 
of  discovery,  as  indicated  in  this  inadequate  and  childish  expe 
dient  to  prevent  it,  is,  in  most  respects,  contradicted  by  that  of 
the  adventurous  expedition  about  to  be  described,  and  which, 
having  passed  the  walls  of  their  city,  obtained  better  information 
of  their  internal  economy  and  condition  than  could  have  been  ac 
quired  by  any  Indians  at  all  likely  to  hold  communication  with 
places  so  very  remote  from  the  territory  as  Quiche  or  Chajul. 

The  effects  of  these  extraordinary  averments  and  recitals  of  the 
Padre,  upon  the  mind  of  Mr.  Stevens,  together  with  the  deliber 
ate  conclusions  which  be  finally  drew  from  them,  is  best  expressed 
in  his  own  language. 

u  The  interest  awakened  in  us,  was  the  most  thrilling  I  ever 
experienced.  One  look  at  that  city,  was  worth  ten  years  of  an 
every  day  life.  If  he  is  right,  a  place  is  left  where  Indians  and 
a  city  exist,  as  Cortez  and  Alvarado  found  them  ;  there  are  living 
men  who  can  solve  the  mystery  that  hangs  over  the  ruined  cities 
of  America  ;  who  can,  perhaps,  go  to  Copan  and  read  the  inscrip 
tions  on  its  monuments.  No  subject  more  exciting  and  attractive 
presents  itself  to  any  mind,  and  the  deep  impression  in  my  mind, 
will  never  be  effaced. 

"  Can  it  be  true  ?  Being  now  in  my  sober  senses,  I  do  verily 
believe  there  is  much  ground  to  suppose  that  what  the  Padre  told 
us  is  authentic.  That  the  region  referred  to  does  not  acknowledge 
the  government  of  Gautamala,  and  has  never  been  explored,  and 
that  no  white  man  has  ever  pretended  to  have  entered  it ;  I  am 
satisfied.  From  other  sources  we  heard  that  a  large  ruined  city 
was  visible;  and  we  were  told  of  another  person  who  had  climbed  to 
the  top  of  the  seirra,  but  on  account  of  the  dense  clouds  rasing 
upon  it,  he  had  not  been  able  to  see  anything.  At  all  events, 
the  belief  at  the  village  of  Chajul  is  general,  and  a  curiosity  is 
aroused  that  burns  to  be  satisfied.  We  had  a  craving  desire  to 
reach  the  mysterious  city.  No  man  if  ever  so  willing  to  peril  his 
life,  could,  undertake  the  enterprise,  with  any  hope  of  success,  with 
out  hovering  for  one  or  two  years  on  the  borders  of  the  country 


studying  the  language  and  character  of  the  adjoining  Indians,  and 
making  acquaintance  with  some  of  the  natives.  Five  hundred 
men  could  probably  march  directly  to  the  city,  and  the  invasion 
would  be  more  justifiable  than  any  made  by  Spaniards  ;  but  the 
government  is  too  much  occupied  with  its  own  wars,  and  the 
knowledge  could  not  be  procured  except  at  the  price  of  blood. 
Two  young  men  of  good  constitution,  and  who  could  afford  to 
spend  five  years,  might  succeed.  ]f  the  object  of  search  prove  a 
phantom,  in  the  wild  scenes  of  a  new  and  unexplored  country, 
there  are  other  objects  of  interest  ;  but,  if  real,  besides  the  glo 
rious  excitement  of  such  a  novelty,  they  will  haye  something  to 
look  back  upon  through  life.  As  to  the  dangers,  they  are  al 
ways  magnified,  and,  in  general,  peril  is  discovered  soon  eno-ugh 
for  escape.  But,  in  all  probability,  if  any  discovery  is  made,  it 
will  be  made  by  the  Padres.  As  for  ourselves,  to  attempt  it 
alone,  ignorant  of  the  language  and  with  the  mozos  who  were  a 
constant  annoyance  to  us,  was  out  of  the  question.  The  most 
we  thought  of,  was  to  climb  to  the  top  of  the  seirra,  thence  to  look 
down  upon  the  mysterious  city  ;  but  we  had  difficulties  enough 
in  the  road  before  us  ;  it  would  add  ten  days  to  a  journey  already 
almost  appalling  in  the  perspective  ;  for  days  the  sierra  might  be 
covered  with  clouds  ;  in  attempting  too  much,  we  might  lose  all; 
Palenque  was  our  great  point,  and  we  determined  not  to  be  diver 
ted  from  the  course  we  had  marked  out."  Vol.  II,  p.  193-196. 

It  is  now  known  that  two  intrepid  young  men,  incited  proba 
bly  by  this  identical  passage  in  Mr.  Stevens's  popular  work — one 
a  Mr.  Huertis,  of  Baltimore,  an  American  of  Spanish  parents,  from 
Cuba,  possessing  an  ample  fortune,  and  who  had  travelled 
much  in  Egypt,  Persia,  and  Syria,  for  the  personal  inspection  of 
ancient  monuments  ;  and  the  other,  a  Mr.  Hammond,  a  civil-en 
gineer  from  Canada,  who  had  been  engaged  for  some  years  on  sur 
veys  in  the  United  States,  agreed  to  undertake  the  perilous  and 
romantic  enterprise  thus  cautiously  suggested  and  chivalrously 
portrayed. 

Amply  equipped  with  every  desirable  appointment,  including 
daguerreotype  apparatuses,  mathematical  instruments,  and  withal 
fifty  repeating  rifles,  lest  it  should  become  necessary  to  resort  to 
an  armed  expedition,  these  gentlemen  sailed  from  New-Orleans 
and  arrived  at  Balize,  in  the  fall  of  1848.  Here  they  procured 
horses,  mules,  and  a  party  of  ten  experienced  Indians  and  Mes- 
titzos  ;  and  after  pursuing  a  route,  through  a  wild,  broken,  and 
heavily  wooded  region,  for  about  150  miles,  on  the  Gulf  of  Ama- 
tique,  they  struck  off  more  to  the  south-west,  for  Coban,  where 
they  arrived  on  the  morning  of  Christmas  day,  in  time  to 


partake  of  the  substantial  enjoyments,  as  well  as  to  observe  the 
peculiar  religious  ceremonies,  of  the  great  Catholic  festival,  in 
that  intensely  interior  city. 

At  this  place,  while  loitering  to  procure  infoi  mation  and  guides 
for  their  future  journey  to  Santa  Cruz  del  Quiche,  they  got  ac 
quainted  with  Sr.  Pedro  Velasquez,  of  San  Salvador,  who  de 
scribes  himself  as  a  man  of  family  and  education,  although  a  trader 
in  indigo  ;  and  his  intermediate  destination,  prior  to  his  return  to 
the  capital,  happening  also  to  be  the  same  city?  he  kindly  proffered 
to  the  two  Americans  his  superior  knowledge  of  the  country,  or  any 
other  useful  service  he  could  render  them;  and  he  was  accordingly 
very  gladly  received  as  their  friend  and  companion  on  the  way 
It  is  from  a  copy  of  a  manuscript  journal  of  this  gentleman,  that 
the  translator  has  obtained  the  only  information  as  yet  brought  to 
the  United  States  concerning  the  remarkable  results  of  the  ex 
ploring  expedition  which  he  will  proceed  to  describe,  or  of  the  fate 
of  Messrs.  Huertis  and  Hammand,  its  unfortunate  originators  and 
conductors,  or  of  those  extraordinary  living  specimens  of  a  sui 
generis  race  of  beings,  hitherto  supposed  to  be  either  fabulous  or 
extinct,  which  are  at  once  its  melancholy  trophies  and  its  physio 
logical  attestors.  And  it  is  from  Senor  Velasquez  alone  that 
the  public  can  receive  any  further  intelligence  upon  this  ardently 
interesting  subject,  beyond  that  which  his  manuscript  imperfectly 
affords. 

In  order,  however,  to  avoid  an  anticipatory  trespass  upon  the 
natural  sequence  of  the  narrative,  it  may  be  proper  to  state, 
that  prior  to  his  departure  in  their  company  from  Coban,  Senor 
Velasquez  had  received  from  his  fellow  travellers  no  intimation 
whatever  concerning  the  ulterior  object  of  their  journey,  and  had 
neither  seen  nor  heard  of  those  volumes  describing  the  stupendous 
vestiges  of  ancient  empire,  in  his  native  land,  which  had  so 
strongly  excited  the  emulous  passion  of  discovery  in  their  minds. 

Frequently  called  by  his  mercantile  speculations,  which  he 
seems  to  have  conducted  upon  an  extensive  scale,  to  perform 
long  journeys  from  San  Salvador,  on  the  Pacific  side  of  the  Cor 
dilleras,  to  Comyagua  in  the  mid-interior,  and  thence  to  Truxillo, 
Omoa,  and  Ysabal,  on  the  Bay  and  Gulf  of  Honduras,  he  had 
traversed  a  large  portion  of  the  country,  and  had  often  been  sur 
prised  with  sudden  views  of  mouldering  temples,  pyramids,  and 


cities  of  vast  magnitude  and  marvellous  mythology.  And  being,  as 
it  evidently  appears,  a  man  of  unusual  intelligence  and  scholastic 
acquirements,  he  had  doubtless  felt,  as  he  states,  a  profound  but 
hopeless  curiosity  concerning  their  origin  and  history.  He  had 
even  seen  and  consecutively  examined  the  numerous  and  ornate 
monuments  of  Copan  ;  but  it  was  not  until  he  had  preceded  to 
the  second  stage  of  the  journey  from  Coban  to  Quiche,  that 
he  was  shown  the  engravings  in  the  first  volume  of  Stevens's 
Central  America,  in  which  they  are  so  faithfully  depicted.  He 
recognized  many  of  them  as  old  acquaintances,  and  still  more  as 
new  ones,  which  had  escaped  his  more  cursory  inspection  ;  and 
in  all  he  could  trace  curions  details  Avhich,  on  the  spot,  he  re- 
greted  the  want  of  time  to  examine.  He,  moreover,  knew  the 
surly  Don  Gregorio,  by  whom  Mr.  Stevens  had  been  treated  so 
inhospitably,  and  several  other  persons  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ruins 
whom  he  had  named,  and  was  delighted  with  the  vraisemb lance 
of  his  descriptions.  The  Senor  confesses  that  these  circumstan 
ces  inspired  him  with  unlimited  confidence  in  that  traveller's 
statements  upon  other  subjects  ;  and  when  Mr.  Huertis  read  to 
him  the  further  account  of  the  information  given  to  Mr.  Stevens 
by  the  jolly  and  merry,  but  intelligent  old  Padre  of  Quiche,  re- 
pecting  other  ruined  cities  beyond  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  espe 
cially  of  the  living  city  of  independent  Candones,  or  unchris- 
tianized  Indians,  supposed  to  have  been  seen  from  the  lofty 
summit  of  that  mountain  range,  and  was  told  by  Messrs.  Huertis 
and  Hammond  that  the  exploration  of  this  city  was  the  chief  ob 
ject  of  their  perilous  expedition,  the  Senor  adds,  that  his  enthu 
siasm  became  enkindled  to  at  least  as  high  a  fervor  as  theirs,  and 
that,  "  with  more  precipitancy  than  prudence,  in  a  man  of  his 
maturer  years  and  important  business  pursuits,  he  resolved  to 
unite  in  the  enterprise,  to  aid  the  heroic  young  men  with  his  ex- 
perince  in  travel  and  knowledge  of  the  wild  Indians  of  the 
region  referred  to,  and  to  see  the  end  of  the  adventure,  result  as 
it  may." 

He  was  confirmed  in  this  resolution  by  several  concurring  facts 
of  which  his  companions  were  now  told  for  the  first  time.  He 
intimately  knew  and  had  several  times  been  the  guest  of  the 
worthy  Cura  of  Quiche,  from  whom  Mr.  Stevens  received  as 
surances  of  the  existence  of  the  ruined  city  of  the  ancient  Aztecs, 


10 

as  well  as  the  living  city  of  the  Candones,  in  the  unsubjugatcd 
territory  beyond  the  mountains.  And  lie  was  induced  to  yield 
credence  to  the  Padre's  confident  report  of  the  latter,  because 
his  account  of  the  former  had  already  been  verified,  and  be 
come  a  matter  of  fact  and  of  record.  He,  Senor  Velasquez, 
himself,  during  the  preceding  summer,  joined  a  party  of  several 
foreigners  and  natives  in  exploring  an  ancient  ruined  city,  of 
prodigious  grandeur  and  extent,  in  the  province  of  Vera  Paz, 
but  little  more  than  150  miles  to  the  east  of  Guatimala,  (in 
stead  of  nearly  200,  as  the  Padre  had  supposed^  which  far  sur 
passed  in  magnificence  every  other  ruin,  as  yet  discovered,  either 
in  Central  America  or  Mexico.  It  lay  overgrown  with  huge 
timber  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  forest,  far  remote  from  any  set 
tlement,  and  near  the  crater  of  a  long  extinct  volcano,  on  whose 
perpendicular  walls,  300  or  400  feet  high,  were  aboriginal  paint 
ings  of  warlike  and  idolitrous  processions,  dances,  and  other 
ceremonies,  exhibiting  like  the  architectural  sculptures  on  the 
temples,  a  state  of  advancement  in  the  arts  incomparably  supe 
rior  to  all  previous  examples.  And  as  the  good  Padre  had 
proved  veracious  and  accurate  on  this  matter,  which  he  knew 
from  personal  observation,  the  Senor  would  not  uncharitably 
doubt  his  veracity  on  a  subject  in  which  he  again  professed  to 
speak  from  the  evidence  of  his  own  eye-sight. 

The  party  thus  re-assured,  and  more  exhilarated  than  ever 
with  the  prospect  of  success,  proceeded  on  their  journey  with 
renewed  vigor.  Although  the  Senor  modestly  abstains  from  any 
allusion  to  the  subject,  in  the  MSS.  which  have  reached  us,  it 
cannot  be  doubted  that  Messrs.  Huertis  and  Hammond  considered 
him  an  invaluble  accession  to  their  party.  He  was  a  guide  on 
whom  they  could  rely  ;  he  was  acquainted  with  the  dialects  ot 
many  of  the  Indian  tribes  through  which  they  would  have  to 
pass  ;  was  familiar  with  the  principal  stages  and  villages  on  their 
route,  and  knew  both  the  places  and  persons  from  whence  the 
best  information,  if  any,  concerning  the  paramount  object  of  their 
journey,  could  be  obtained. 

It  appears,  also,  from  an  incidental  remark  in  his  journal,  that 
Senor  Velasquez  would  have  been  at  their  right  hand  in  a  fight, 
in  the  event  of  any  hostile  obstruction  on  their  way.  As  a  vol- 
lnt:er,  he  had  held  a  command  under  Morazan,  during  the 


11 

sanguinary  conflicts  of  the  republic,  and  had  been  a  soldier 
through  several  of  the  most  arduous  campaigns,  in  the  fierce 
struggle  between  the  general  and  Carrcra.  He  was  thus,  appa 
rently,  in  all  respects,  precisely  such  an  auxiliary  as  they  would 
have  besought  Providence  to  afford  them,  to  accomplish  the 
hazardous  enterprise  they  had  so  daringly  projected  and  com 
menced. 

Unfortunately  for  the  public,  the  Senor's  journal,  fragmentary 
throughout,  is  especially  meagre  concerning  the  incidents  of 
travel  between  the  capital  of  Vera  Paz  and  Santa  Cruz  del 
Quiche.  At  this  period  he  appears  to  have  left  the  task  of  re 
cording  them  almost  entirely  to  his  two  friends,  whose  mem 
oranda,  in  all  probability,  are  forever  lost.  Some  of  those  inci 
dents  appear,  even  from  his  brief  minutes  of  them,  to  have  been 
of  the  most  imminent  and  critical  importance.  Thus  under  the 
date  of  February  2nd,  1849,  he  says,  "  on  the  bank  of  a 
branch  of  the  Salamo,  attacked  in  the  night  by  about  thirty  In 
dian  robbers,  several  of  whom  had  fire-arms.  Sr.  Hammond, 
sitting  within  the  light  of  the  fire,  was  severely  wounded  through 
the  left  shoulder  ;  they  had  followed  us  from  the  hacienda,  six 
leagues,  passed  us  to  the  north  and  Jay  in  ambush ;  killed  four, 
wounded  three  ;  of  the  rest  saw  no  more  ;  poor  Juan,  shot 
through  the  body,  died  this  morning  ;  lost  two  mules." 

After  this,  there  is  nothing  written  until  the  16th,  when  they 
had  arrived  at  a  place  called  San  Jose,  where  he  says,  "  Good 
beef  and  fowls  ;  Sr.  Huertis  much  better  ;  Sr.  Hammond  very 
low  in  intermittent  fever  ;  fresh  mules  and  good  ones."  Next 
on  the  5th  of  March,  at  the  Indian  village  of  Axitzel,  is  written, 
"Detained  here  five  days;  Hammond,  strong  and  headstrong. 
Agree  with  Huertis  that,  to  be  safe,  we  must  wait  with  patience 
the  return  of  the  good  Cura."  Slight  and  tantalizing  memoranda 
of  this  kind  occur,  irregularly,  until  April  3rd,  when  we  find  the 
party  safely  arrived  at  Quiche,  and  comfortably  accommodated 
in  a  convent.  The  joval  Padre,  already  often  mentined,  who 
maybe  regarded  as  the  unconscious  father  of  the  expedition,  had 
become  helplessly,  if  not  hopelessly,  dropsical,  and  lost  much 
of  his  wanted  jocosity.  He  declared,  however,  that  Senor 
Velasquez's  description  of  the  ruins  explored  the  previous  sum 
mer,  recalling  as  it  did  his  own  profoundly  impressed  recollec- 


12 

tion  of  them,  when  lie  walked  through  their  desola'v  avenues 
and  deserted  palaces  ;  and  corroborating  as  it  did,  in  every  par 
ticular,  his  own  reiterated  account  of  them,  which  he  had  often 
bestowed  upon  incredulous  and  unworthy  ears,  would  u  act  like 
cannabis  upon  his  bladder,"  as  it  already  had  upon  his  eyes  ;  and 
if  he  could  but  live  to  see  the  description  in  print,  so  as  to  silence 
allgainsayers,  he  had  no  doubt  it  would  completely  cure  him,  and 
add  many  years  to  his  life.  He  persisted  in  his  story  of  the  un 
known  city  in  the  Candone  wilderness,  as  seen  by  himself,  nearly 
forty  years  ago,  from  the  summit  of  the  sierra ;  and  promised  the 
travellers  a  letter  to  his  friend,  the  Cura  of  Gueguetenango,  re 
questing  him  to  procure  them  a  guide  to  the  very  spot  from 
whence  they  could  behold  it  for  themselves. 

This  promise,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  tne  Senor  says,  he 
faithfully  performed,  describing  from  recollection,  by  the  hand 
of  an  amanuensis  to  whom  he  dictated,  not  only  the  more  stri 
king  but  even  minute  and  peculiar  landmarks  for  the  guidance 
of  the  guide.  On  the  10th  of  April,  the  party,  fully  recruited 
in  health  and  energy,  set  out  for  Totonicapan  ;  and  thence  we 
trace  them  by  the  journal  through  a  succession  of  small  places 
to  Quezaltenango,  where  they  remained  but  two  days  ;  and 
thence  through  the  places  called  Aguas  Calientes,  and  San  Sc- 
bastiano,  to  Gueguetenango  ;  this  portion  of  their  route  being 
described  as  one  of  unprecedented  toil,  danger,  and  exhaustion, 
from  its  mountainous  character,  accidents  to  men  and  mules, ter 
rific  weather  and  loss  of  provisions.  Arrived,  however,  at  length, 
at  the  town  last  named,  which  they  justly  regarded  as  an  emi 
nently  critical  stage  of  their  destiny,  they  found  the  Cura,  and 
presented  him  with  <.Le  letter  of  introduction  from  his  friend,  the 
Padre  of  Quiche.  They  were  somewhat  discouraged  on  per 
ceiving  that  the  Cura  indicated  but  little  confidence  in  the  accu 
racy  of  his  old  friend's  memory,  and  asked  them  rather  abruptly, 
if  they  thought  him  really  serious  in  his  belief  in  his  distant 
vision  of  an  unknown  city  from  the  sierra,  because,  for  his  own 
part,  he  had  always  regarded  the  story  as  one  of  Padre's  broad 
est  jokes,  and  especially  since  he  had  never  heard  of  any  other 
person  possessing  equal  visual  powers.  "  The  mountain  was 
it  is  true,  but  not  much  more  than  half  as  high  as  the  hy- 
ous  memory  of  his  reverend  .friend  had  made  it,  •: 
much  feared  that  the  Padre,  in  the  course  of  forty  years,  had  so 


13 

frequently  repeated  a  picture  of  bis  early  imagination  as  to  have, 
at  length,  cherished  it  as  a  realitity."  This  was  said  in  smooth  and 
elegant  Spanish,  but  says  the  Senor,  "  with  an  air  of  dignified 
sarcasm  upon  our  credulity,  which  was  far  from  being  agree 
able  to  men  broken  down  and  dispirited,  by  almost  incredible  toil, 
in  pursuit  of  an  object  thus  loftily  pronounced  a  rediculous 
phantom  of  the  brain."  This  part  of  Senor  Velasquez'sjournal 
being  interesting  and  carefully  written,  we  give  the  following 
translation  without  abridgement  : — 

"  The  Cura,  nevertheless,  on  finding  that  his  supercilious 
scepticism  had  riot  proved  so  infectious  among  us  as  he  expected 
and  that  we  were  rather  vexed  than  vacillating,  offered  to  procure 
us  guides  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two,  who  were  familiar  with 
many  parts  of  the  sierra,  and  who,  for  good  pay,  he  doubted  not, 
would  flatter  our  expectations  to  the  utmost  extent  we  could  de 
sire.  He  advised  us,  however,  in  the  same  style  of  caustic  dis 
suasion,  to  take  with  us  both  a  barometer  and  a  telescope,  if  we 
were  provided  with  those  instruments,  because  the  latter,  espe 
cially,  might  be  found  useful  in  discovering  the  unknown  city,  and 
the  former  would  not  only  inform  us  of  the  height  of  the  moun 
tain,  but  of  the  weather  in  prospect  most  favorable  to  a  distant 
view.  Senor  Huertis  replied  that  such  precautions  would  be 
adopted,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and  would,  moreover,  furnish 
him,  on  our  return  to  Gueguetenango,  with  the  exact  latitude  and 
longitude  of  the  spot  from  which  the  discovery  might  be  made. 
He  laughed  very  heartily  and  rejoined  that  he  thought  this  oper 
ation  would  be  much  easier  than  to  furnish  the  same  interesting 
particulars  concerning  the  location  of  the  spots  at  which  the 
discovery  might  fail  to  be  made;  and  saying  this  he  robed  himself 
for  mass,  which  we  all,  rather  sullenly,  attended. 

c'  Next  morning,  two  good  looking  Meztitzos,  brothers,  waited 
on  us  with  a  strong  letter  of  recommendation  from  the  Cura,  as 
guides  to  that  region  of  the  sierra  which  the  Padre's  letter  had 
so  particularly  described,  and  which  description,  the  Cura  added, 
he  had  taken  much  pains  to  make  them  understand.  On  being 
questioned  concerning  it?  they  startled  and  somewhat  disconcer 
ted  us  by  calm  assurances,  in  very  fair  Spanish,  that  they  were 
not  only  familiar  with  all  the  land-marks,  great  and  small,  which 
the  Cura  had  read  to  them,  but  had  several  times  seen  the  vory 
city  of  which  we  were  in  search,  although  none  but  full- 
blooded  Indians  had  ever  ventured  on  a  journey  to  it.  This  was 
rather  too  much,  even  for  us,  sanguine  and  confiding  as  w 
We  shared  a  common  suspicion  that  the  Cura  had  changed  his 
tactics,  and  resolved  to  play  a  practical  joke  upon  our  credulity — 
to  send  us  on  a  fool's  errand  and  laugh  at  us  for  our  pains.  That 
he  had  been  tampering  with  the  two  guides  for  this  purpose, 


14 

us  forcibly  ;  for  while  he  professed  never  to  have  known 
may  Rmn  who  had  seen  the  distant  city,  he  recommended  these 
Meztitzos,  as  brothers,  whom  he  had  known  from  their  boyhood, 
they  declared  they  had  beheld  it  from  the  sierra  on  various  occa 
sions.  Nevertheless,  Senor  Huertis  believed  that  the  young  men 
spoke  the  truth,  while  the  Cura,  probably,  did  not ;  and  hoping 
to  catch  him  in  his  own  snare,  if  such  had  been  laid,  asked  the 
guides  their  terms,  which,  though  high,  he  agreed  to  at  once, 
without  cavil.  They  said  it  would  take  us  eight  days  to  reach  the 
part  of  the  sierra  described  in  the  letter,  and  that  we  might  have 
to  wait  on  the  summit  several  days  more,  before  the  weather 
would  afford  a  clear  view.  They  would  be  ready  in  two  days  ; 
they  had  just  returned  across  the  mountains  from  San  Antonia 
de  Guista,  and  needed  rest  and  repairs.  There  was  a  frankness 
and  simplicity  about  these  fine  fellows  which  would  bear  the 
severest  scrutiny,  and  we  could  only  admit  the  bare  possibility  of 
our  beino"  mistaken. 

CD 

u  It  took  us  three  days,  however,  to  procure  a  full  supply  of 
the  proper  kind  of  provisions  for  a  fortnight's  abode  in  the  sky, 
and  on  the  fourth,  (May  5th,)  we  paid  our  formal  respects  to 
the  Cura,  and  started  for  the  ascent — he  not  forgetting  to  re 
mind  us  of  the  promise  to  report  to  him  the  precise  geographi 
cal  locality  of  our  discovery." 

The  journal  is  again  blank  until  May  9th,  when  the  writer 
says,  "  Our  altitude,  by  barometer,  this  morning,  is  over  6000 
feet  above  the  valley  which  we  crossed  three  days  ago  ;  the  view 
of  it  and  its  surrounding  mountains,  sublime  with  chasms,  yet 
grotesque  in  outline,  and  all  heavily  guilded  with  the  setting  sun, 
is  one  of  the  most  oppressively  gorgeous  I  ever  beheld.  The 
guides  inform  us  that  we  have  but  3000  feet  more  to  ascend, 
and  point  to  the  gigantic  pinacle  before  us,  at  the  apparent  dis 
tance  of  seven  or  eight  leagues  ;  but  that,  before  we  can  reach 
it,  we  have  to  descend  and  ascend  an  immense  barranca,  (rav 
ine,)  nearly  a  thousand  feet  deep  from  our  present  level,  and  of 
so  difficult  a  passage  that  it  will  cost  us  several  days.  The  side 
of  the  mountain  towards  the  north-west,  is  perfectly  flat  and  per 
pendicular  for  more  than  half  its  entire  height,  as  if  the  pro 
digious  section  had  been  riven  down  by  the  sword  of  the  Sari 
Miguel,  and  hurled  with  his  foot  among  the  struggling  multitude 
of  summits  below.  So  far,  the  old  Padre  is  accurate  in  every 
particular."  In  a  note  opposite  this  extract,  written  perpendic 
ularly  on  the  margin  of  the  manuscript,  the  writer  says,  "  The 
average  breadth  of  the  plain  on  this  ridge  of  the  sierra,  (that  is 
the  ridge  on  which  they  were  then  encamped  for  the  night,)  is 


nearly  half  a  mile,  and  exhibits  before  us  a  fine  rolling  track  as 
far  as  we  can  see.  Neither  birdi,  beasts,  nor  insects — I  would 
there  were  no  such  barranca  !"  On  the  tenth  he  says,  "  on  the 
brink  of  the  abyss — the  heaviest  crags  we  can  hurl  down,  re» 
turn  no  sound  from  the  bottom." 

The  next  entry  in  the  journal  is  dated  May  15th. — "  Re 
covered  the  body  of  Sebastiano  and  the  load  of  his  mule  ;  his 
brother  is  building  a  cross  for  his  grave,  and  will  not  leave  it 
until  famished  with  thirst  and  hunger.  All  too  exhausted  to  think 
of  leaving  this  our  first  encampment  since  we  descended.  Present 
elevation  but  little  above  that  of  the  opposite  ridge  which  we  left 
on  the  lUli,  still,  at  least  3000  feet  to  climb."  On  the  19th, 
4  o'clock,  P.  M.,  he  records,  "  Myself,  Sr.  Hammond  and  Anto 
nio,  on  the  highest  summit,  an  inclined  plain  of  bare  rock,  of 
about  fifteen  acres.  The  Padre  again  right.  Sr.  Huertis  and 
others  just  discernable,  but  bravely  coming  on.  Elevation,  9,500 
feet.  Completely  in  the  clouds,  and  all  the  country  below  invisi 
ble.  Senor  Hammond  already  bleeding  at  the  nose,  and  n» 
cigar  to  stop  it."  At  10  o'clock,  the  same  night,  he  writes? 
u  All  comfortably  asleep  but  myself  and  Sr.  Hammond,  who  is 
going  to  take  the  latitude."  Then  follows,  "  He  finds  the  lati 
tude  15  degrees  and  43  minutes  north."  Opposite  this,  in  the 
margin  is  written,  "  the  mean  result  of  three  observations  of 
different  stars.  Intend  to  take  the  longitude  to-morrow."  Next 
day,  the  20th,  he  says,  "  A  bright  and  most  auspicious  morning, 
and  all,  but  poor  Antonio,  in  fine  health  and  feeling.  The  wind 
by  compass,  N-  E.,  and  rolling  away  a  billowy  ocean  of  mist, 
toward,  1  suppose,  the  Bay  of  Honduras.  Antonio  says  the 
Pacific  will  be  visible  within  an  hour  ;  (present  time  not  given) 
more  and  more  of  the  lower  mountians  becoming  clear  every  mo 
ment.  Fancy  we  already  see  the  Pacific,  a  faint  yellow  plain, 
almost  as  elevated  as  ourselves.  Can  see  part  of  the  State  of 
Chiapas  pretty  distinctly."  At  12  o'clock,  meridian,  he  says, 
*'  Sr.  Hammond  is  taking  the  longitude,  but  finds  a  difference  of 
several  minutes  between  his  excellent  watch  and  chronometer, 
and  fears  the  latter  has  been  shaken.  Both  the  watch  and  its 
owner,  however,  have  been  a  great  deal  more  shaken,  for  the 
chronometer  has  been  all  the  time  in  the  midst  of  a  thick  blank 
et,  and  has  had  no  falls.  Sr.  Huertis,  with  the  glass,  sees  whole 
lines  and  groups  ot  pyramids,  in  Chiapas.  At  1  o'clock,  P.  M.  he 


16 

records,  "  Sr.  Hammond  reports  the  longitude,  92  degrees  15 
minutes  west.  Brave  Huertis  is  in  ecstacy  with  some  discov 
ery,  but  will  not  part  with  the  glass  for  a  moment.  No  doubt  it 
is  the  Padre's  city,  for  it  is  precisely  in  the  direction  he  indicat 
ed.  Antonio  says  he  can  sec  it  with  his  naked  eye,  although  less 
distinctly  than  heretofore.  I  can  only  see  a  white  straight  line, 
like  a  ledge  of  limbstone  rock,  on  an  elevated  plain,  at  least 
twenty  leagues  distant,  in  the  midst  of  a  vast  amphitheatre  of 
hills,  to  the  north  east  of  our  position,  toward  the  State  of 
Yucatan.  Still,  it  is  no  doubt  the  place  the  Padre  saw,  and  it 
may  be  a  great  city." 

At  2  o'clock  P.  M.,  he  says  a  All  doubt  is  at  an  end  !  We  have 
all  seen  it  through  the  glass,  as  distinctly  as  though  it  were  but 
a  few  leagues  off,  and  it  is  now  clear  and  bright  to  the  unaided 
eye.  It  is  unquestionably  a  richly  monumented  city,  of  vast  di 
mensions,  within  lofty  parapetted  walls,  three  or  four  miles 
square,  inclined  inward  in  the  Egyptian  style,  and  its  interior 
domes  and  turrets  have  an  emphatically  oriental  aspect.  I  should 
judge  it  to  be  not  more  than  twenty-five  leagues  from  Ocosingo, 
to  the  eastward,  and  nearly  in  the  same  latitude  ;  and  this  would 
probably  be  the  best  point  from  which  to  reach  it,  travelling  due 
east,  although  the  course  of  the  river  Legartos  seems  to  lead  di 
rectly  to  it.  That  it  is  still  an  inhabited  place,  is  evident  from 
the  domes  of  its  temples,  or  churches.  Christian  churches  they 
cannot  be,  for  such  a  city  would  have  an  Aarchbishop  and  be  well 
known  to  the  civilized  world.  It  must  be  a  Pagan  strong-hold 
that  escaped  the  conquest  by  its  remote  position,  and  the  general 
retreat,  retirement,  and  centralizing  seclusion  of  its  surrounding 
population.  It  may  now  be  opened  to  the  light  of  the  true 
faith." 

They  commenced  their  descent  the  same  day,  and  rested  at 
night  on  the  place  of  their  previous  encampment,  a  narrow  shelf 
of  the  sierra.  Here,  on  the  brink  of  the  terrible  ravine,  which 
they  had  again  to  encounter,  they  consulted  upon  a  plan  for  their 
future  operations  ;  and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  Messrs.  Huertis 
and  Hammond,  with  Antonio,  and  such  of  the  Indian  muleteers 
as  could  be  induced  to  proceed  with  the  expedition,  should  fol 
low  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  in  its  north-east  course,  in  which, 
according  to  Antonio,  the  river  Legartos  took  its  principal  sup- 


17 

ply  of  water,  and  remain  at  a  large  village,  adjacent  to  its  banks, 
which  they  had  seen,  about  five  leagues  distant  ;  while  Senor 
Velasquez  was  to  trace  their  late  route,  by  way  of  Gueguete- 
nango,  to  Quezaltenango,  where  all  the  surplus  arms  and  amuni- 
tion  had  been  deposited,  and  recruit  a  strong  party  of  Indians,  to 
serve  as  a  guard,  in  the  event  of  an  attack  from  the  people  of 
the  unexplored  region,  whither  they  were  resolutely  bound.  In 
the  meantime,  Antonio  was  to  return  home  to  Gueguetenango, 
await  the  return  of  Velasquez,  with  his  armed  party,  from  Que 
zaltenango,  and  conduct  them  over  the  mountains  to  the  village 
on  the  plains,  where  Messrs.  Huertis  and  Hammond  were  to  re 
main  until  they  should  arrive.  It  appears  that  Senor  Velasquez 
was  abundantly  supplied  with  solid  funds  for  the  recruiting  ser 
vice,  and  that  Mr.  Huertis  also  furnished  Antonio  with  a  liberal 
sum,  in  addition  to  his  stipulated  pay,  wherewith  to  procure 
masses  for  the  repose  of  his  unfortunate  brother. 

Of  the  adventures  of  Messrs.  Huertis  and  Hammond,  in  the 
long  interval  prior  to  the  return  of  Velasquez,  we  have  no  ac 
count  whatever  ;  nor  does  the  journal  of  the  latter  contain  any 
remarks  relative  to  his  own  operations,  during  the  same  period. 
The  next  date  is  July  the  8th,  when  we  find  him  safely  arrived 
with  "  nearly  all  the  men  he  had  engaged,"  at  an  Indian  village 
called  Aguamasinta,  where  his  anxious  companions  were  over 
joyed  +o  receive  him,  and  where  "  they  had  obtained  inestimable 
information  regarding  the  proper  arrangement  of  the  final  pur 
pose."  After  this  we  trace  them,  by  brief  memoranda,  for  a 
few  days,  on  the  devious  course  of  the  Legartos,  when  the  jour 
nal  abruptly  and  finally  closes.  The  remaining  narrative  of  the 
expedition  was  written  ly  Senor  Velasquez  from  memory,  after 
his  return  to  San  Salvador,  while  all  the  exciting  events  and 
scenes  which  it  describes  were  vividly  sustained  by  the  feelings 
which  they  originally  inspired.  As  this  excessively  interesting 
document  will  be  translated  for  the  public  press  as  soon  as  the 
necessary  consent  of  its  present  proprietor  can  be  obtained,  the 
writer  of  this  pamphlet  the  less  regrets  the  very  limited  use  of 
it  to  which  he  is  now  restricted — which  is  but  little  more  than 
that  of  making  a  mere  abridgement  and  connexion  of  such  inci 
dents  as  may  serve  to  explain  the  orign  and  possession  of  those 
sui  generis  specimens  of  humanity,  the  Aztec  brother  and  sister, 
now  exhibiting  to  the  public,  in  the  United  States.  From  the 


18 

introductory  paragraphs,  we  take  the  liberty  to  quote  the  follow 
ing  without  abridgement  : — 

"  Our  latitude  and  longitude  were  now  16  °  42'  N.  and  91  °  35i 
W  5  so  that  the  grand  amphitheatre  of  hills,  forming  three 
fourths  of  an  oval  outline  of  jagged  summits,  a  few  leagues  be 
fore  us,  most  probably  inclosed  the  mysterious  object  of  our 
anxious  and  uncertain  labors.  The  small  groups  of  Indians 
through  which  we  had  passed,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  had  evi 
dently  been  startled  by  sheer  astonishment,  into  a  sort  of  passive 
and  involuntary  hospitality,  but  maintained  a  stark  apprehensive 
reserve  in  most  of  their  answers  to  our  questions.  The"y  spoke 
a  peculiar  dialect  of  the  Maya,  which  1  had  never  heard  before, 
and  had  great  difficulty  in  comprehendinc;,  although  several  of  the 
Mayua  Indians  of  our  party  un Jerstood  it  familiarly  and  spoke  it 
fluently.  From  them  we  learned  that  they  had  never  seen  men 
of  our  race  before,  but  that  a  man  of  the  same  race  as  Scnor 
Hammond,  who  was  of  a  bright-florid  complexion,  with  light 
hair  and  red  whiskers,  had  been  sacrificed  and  eaten  by  the 
Macbenachs,  or  priests  of  Iximaya,  the.  great  city  among  the 
hills,  about  thirty  moons  ago.  Our  interpeters  stated  that  the 
word  "  Iximaya  "  meant  the  "  Great  Centre,"  and  that  "  Mac- 
benach  "  meant  the  "  Great  Son  of  the  Sun."  I  at  once  resolved 
to  make  the  most  of  my  time  in  learning  as  much  as  possible  of 
this  dialect  from  these  men,  because  they  said  it  was  the  tongue 
spoken  by  the  people  of  Iximaya  and  the  surrounding  region.  It 
appeared  to  me  to  be  merely  a  provinical  corruption,  or  local  pe- 
culiarism,  of  the  great 'body  of  the  Maya  language,  with  which 
I  was  already  acquainted  ;  and,  in  the  course  of  the  next  day's 
conversation,  1  found  that  I  could  acquire  it  with  much  facility." 

To  this  circumstance  the  writer  is  probably  indebted  for  his 
life.  In  another  day,  the  determined  explorers  had  come  within 
the  circuit  of  the  alpine  district  in  which  Iximaya  is  situated,  and 
found  it  reposing,  in  massive  grandeur,  in  the  centre  of  a  per 
fectly  level  plain,  about  five  leagues  in  diameter,  at  a  distance  of 
scarcely  two  from  the  spot  they  had  reached.  At  the  base  of  all 
the  mountains,  rising  upon  their  sides,  and  extending  nearly  a 
mile  inward  upon  the  plain,  was  a  dark  green  forest  of  colossal 
trees  and  florid  shrubbery,  girding  it  around  ;  while  the  even 
valley' itself  exhibited  large  tracts  of  uncultivated  fields,  fenced  in 
with  palisades,  and  regular,  even  to  monotony,  both  in  size  and 
form.  "  Large  herdi*  of  deer,  cattle,  and  horses,  were  seen  in 
the  openings  of  the  forest,  and  dispersed  over  the  plain,  which 
was  also  studded  with  low  flat-roofed  dwellings  of  stone,  in  small 
detached  clusters,  or  hamlets.  Rich  patches  of  forest,  of  irreg 
ular  forms,  bordered  with  gigantic  aloes,  diversified  the  landscape 


19 

in  effective  contrast  with  bright  lakes  of  water  which   glowed 
among  them." 

While  the  whole  party,  with  their  cavalcade  of  mules  and  bag  - 
gage  were  gazing"  upon  the  scene,  two  horsemen,  in  bright  blue 
and  yellow  tunics,  and  wearing  turbans  decorated  with  three  large 
plumes  of  the  quezal,  dashed  by  them  from  the  forest,  at  the 
distance  of  about  two  hundred  yards,  on  steeds  of  the  highest 
Spanish  mould,  followed  by  a  long  retinue  of  athletic  Indians, 
equally  well  mounted,  clothed  in  brilliant  red  tunics,  with  coron 
als  of  gay  feathers,  closely  arranged  within  a  band  of  blue  cloth. 
Each  horseman  carried  a  long  spear,  pointed  with  a  polished 
metal  ;  and  each  held,  in  a  leash,  a  brace  of  pewerful  blood 
hounds,  which  were  also  of  the  purest  Spanish  breed.  The  two 
leaders  of  this  troop,  who  were  Indians  of  commanding  air  and 
stature,  suddenly  wheeled  their  horses  and  glared  upon  the  large 
party  of  intruders  with  fixed  amazement.  Their  followers 
evinced  equal  surprise,  but  forgot  not  to  draw  up  in  good  military 
array,  while  the  blood-hounds  leapt  and  raged  in  their  thongs. 

V  • 

"  While  the  leaders,"  says  Senor  Velasquez,  "  seemed  to  be 
intently  scrutinizing  every  individual  of  our  company,  as  if 
silently  debating  the  policy  of  an  immediate  attack,  one  of  the 
Maya  Indians,  of  whom  I  had  been  learning  the  dialect,  stepped 
forward  and  informed  us  that  they  were  a  detachment  of  rural 
guards,  a  very  numerous  military  force,  which  had  been  appointed 
from  time  immemorial,  or,  at  least  from  the  time  of  the  Spaniah 
invasion,  to  hunt  down  and  capture  all  strangers  of  a  foreign  race 
that  should  be  found  within  a  circle  of  twelve  leagues  o£thc  city; 
and  he  repeated  the  statement  made  to  us  from  the  beginning,  that 
no  white  man  had  hitherto  eluded  their  vigilance  or  left  their  city 
alive.  He  said  there  was  a  tradition  that  many  of  the  pioneers 
of  Alvarado's  army  had  been  cut  off  in  this  manner,  and  never 
heard  of  more,  while  their  skulls  and  weapons  are  to  this  day 
suspended  round  the  altars  of  the  pagan  gods.  He  added, 
finally,  that  if  we  wished  to  escape  the  same  fate,  now  was  our 
only  chance  ;  that  as  we  numbered  thirty-five,  all  armed  with 
repeating  rifles,  we  could  easily  destroy  the  present  detachment, 
which  amounted  to  but  fifty,  and  secure  our  retreat  before 
another  could  come  up  ;  but  that,  in  order  to  do  this,  it  was  nec 
essary  first  to  shoot  the  dogs,  which  all  our  Indians  regarded  with 
the  utmost  dread  and  horror. 

I  instantly  felt  the  force  of  this  advice,  in  which,  also,  I  was 
sustained  by  Senor  Hammond  ;  but  Seuor  Huertis,  whom,  as 
the  leader  of  the  expedition,  we  were  all  bound  and  solemly 
pledged  to  obey  ;  utterly  rejected  the  proposition.  He  had  come 


20 

so  far  to  see  the  city  and  see  it  he  would,  whether  taken  thither 
as  a  captive  or  not,  and  whether  he  ever  returned  from  it  or  not; 
that  this  was  the  contract  originally  proposed,  and  to  which  I 
had  assented  ;  that  the  fine  troop  before  us  was  evidently  not  a 
gang  of  savages,  but  a  body  of  civilized  men  and  good  soldiers ; 
and  as  to  the  dogs,  they  were  noble  animals  of  the  highest  blood 
he  ever  saw.  If,  however,  I  and  his  friend  Hammond,  who 
seemed  afraid  of  being  eaten,  in  preference  to  the  fine  beef  and 
venison  which  we  had  seen  in  such  profusion  on  the  plain,  really 
felt  alarmed  at  the  bugbear  legends  of  our  vagabond  Indians,  be 
fore  any  demonstration  of  hostility  had  been  made,  we  were 
welcome  to  take  two-thirds  of  the  men  and  mules  and  make  oui 
retreat  as  best  we  could,  while  he  would  advance  with  Antonio 
and  the  remainder  of  the  party,  to  the  gates  of  the  city,  and  de 
mand  a  peaceable  admission.  I  could  not  but  admire  the  ro 
mantic  intrepidity  of  this  resolve,  though  I  doubted  its  discre 
tion;  and  assured  him  I  was  ready  to  follow  his  example  and 
share  his  fate. 

"  While  this  conversation  was  passing  among  us,  the  Indian 
commanders  held  a  conference  apparently  as  grave  and  import 
ant.  But  just  as  Senor  Huertis  and  myself  had  agreed  to  ad 
vance  towards  them  for  a  parley,  they  separated  without  deigning 
a  reply  to  our  salutation — the  elder  and  more  highly  decorated, 
galloped  off  towards  the  city  with  a  small  escort,  while  the  other 
briskly  crossed  our  front  at  the  head  of  his  squadron  and  entered 
the  forest  nearer  the  entrance  of  the  valley.  This  opening  in 
the  hills,  was  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide,  and  but  a  few 
minutes  elapsed  before  we  saw  a  single  horseman  cross  it  toward 
the  wood  on  the  opposite  side.  Presently,  another  troop  of 
horse  of  the  same  uniform  appearance  as  the  first,  were  seen 
passing  a  glade  of  the  wood  which  the  single  horseman  had 
penetrated,  and  it  thus  became  evident  that  a  manoeuvre  had  al 
ready  been  effected  to  cut  off  our  retreat.  The  mountains  sur 
rounding  the  whole  area  of  the  plain,  were  absolutely  perpen 
dicular  for  three-fourths  of  their  altitude,  which  was  no  where 
less  than  a  thousand  feet  5  and  from  many  parts  of  their  wildly 
piled  outline,  huge  crags  projected  in  monstrous  mammoth  forms, 
as  if  to  plunge  to  the  billows  of  forest  beneath.  At  no  point  of 
this  vast  impassible  boundary  was  there  a  chasm  or  declivity 
discernablo  by  which  we  could  make  our  exit,  except  the  one 
thus  formidably  intercepted. 

"To  retire  into  the  forest  and  water  our  mules  at  a  copious  stream 
which   rushed   forth  from  its  recesses,  and  recruit  our  own  ex 
hausted  strength  with  food  and  rest,  was  our  first  necessary  re 
source.      In  tracing  the  rocky  course   of  the  current  for  a  con- 
i^.ring  place,  Antonio  discovered  that  it  issued  from  a 
L,  which,    though  a  mere  fissure  exteriorly,  was,  within,  of 
dimensions 'and  solemnity  ;  we  all  entered  it  and  drank 
eagerly  from  a  foaming  basin,  which  it  immediately  presented  to 


21 

our  fevered  lips.  Our  first  sensations  were  those  of  freedom  and 
independence,  and  of  that  perfect  security  which  is  the  basis  of 
both.  It  was  long  since  we  had  slept  under  a  roof  of  any  kind, 
while  here  a  few  men  could  defend  our  repose  against  an  assault 
from  thousands  ;  but  it  was  horribly  evident,  to  my  mind,  that  a 
few  watchful  assailants  would  suffice  to  reduce  us  to  starvation, 
or  destroy  us  in  detail.  Our  security  was  that  of  a  prison,  and 
our  freedom  was  limited  to  its  walls.  Happily,  however,  for 
the  present  hour,  this  reflection  seemed  to  trouble  no  one.  Ob 
jects  of  wonder  and  veneration  grew  numerous  to  our  gaze.  Gi 
gantic  statues  ef  ancient  warriors,  with  round  shields,  arched 
helmets,  and  square  breast-plates,  curiously  latticed  and  adorned, 
stood  sculptured  in  high  relief,  with  grave  faces  and  massive 
limbs,  and  in  the  regular  order  of  columns  around  the  walls  of 
this  grand  mausoleum.  Many  of  them  stood  arrayed  in  the  crim 
son  of  the  setting  sun,  which  then  flamed  through  the  tall  fissure 
into  the  cavern  ;  and  the  deep  gloom  into  which  long  rows  of  others 
utterly  retired  from  our  view,  presented  a  scene  at  once  of  min 
gled  mystery  and  splendor.  It  was  evidently  a  place  of  great 
and  recent  resort,  both  for  men  and  horses,  for  plentiful  supplies 
of  fresh  fodder  for  the  latter  were  heaped  in  stone  recesses  ;  while 
the  ashes  of  numerous  fires,  mingled  with  discarded  mocassins 
and  broken  pipes  and  pottery,  attested  a  domiciliary  occupation 
by  tho  former.  Farther  into  the  interior,  were  found  seats  and 
^coping-couches  of  fine  cane  work  ;  and  in  a  spacious  recess,  near 
the  entrance,  a  large  collection  of  the  bones,  both  of  the  ox  and 
the  deer,  with  hides,  also,  of  both,  but  newly  flayed  and  sus 
pended  on  pegs  by  the  horns.  These  last  evidences  of  good  living 
had  more  effect  upon  our  hungry  Indians  than  all  the  rest,  and 
within  an  hour  after  dark,  while  we  were  seeking  our  first  sleep, 
four  fine  deer  were  brought  in  by  about  a  dozen  of  our  party, 
whom  we  supposed  to  have  been  faithfully  guarding  our  citadel. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  we  gladly  arose  to  the  rich  repast 
that  ensued,  for  we  had  eaten  nothing  but  our  scant  allowance  of 
tortillas  for  many  days,  and  were  in  the  lassitude  of  famine." 

Tempting  as  such  extracts  are,  we  must  avoid  them,  and 
hasten  through  a  summary  of  subsequent  events.  There  is  one 
singular  incident,  however,  mentioned  in  the  passage  immediately 
following  the  above,  possessing  too  important  a  connexion  with 
the  final  catastrophe  to  be  preterinitted at  this  place.  Mr.  Ham 
mond,  tho  Canadian  engineer,  fearing  that  the  peculiarity  of 
his  appearance,  as  a  man  of  fair  and  ruddy  complexion,  among  a 
y  race,  vrould  subject  him  to  great  annoyance,  and  perhaps 
iuvolvo  him  in  tho  horrible  fate  of  a  similar  person,  reported  by 
tho  Indians,  resolved  to  stain  his  skin  of  a  darker  hue,  by  means 
of  some  chemical  preparation  which  he  had  precautionary  pro 
vided  for  this  purpose,  before  ho  left  the  United  States  With 
2 


22 

the  friendly  assistance  of  Antonio,  this  metamorphosis  was  com 
pleted  over  his  whole  person  before  he  retired  to  rest ;  his  red 
whiskers  were  shaved  off,  and  his  light  hair  died  of  a  jet  black  ; 
and  so  perfect  was  the  disguise,  that  not  one  of  the  party  who 
went  foraging  for  venison  recognized  him  on  their  return,  but 
marvelled,  as  he  sat  at  supper,  whence  so  singular  a  stranger  could 
have  come.  Velasquez  states,  however,  that  his  new  complexion 
was  unlike  that  of  any  human  being  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and 
scarcely  diminished  the  certainty  of  his  becoming  an  object  of 
curiosity,  among  an  Indian  population. 

In  the  morning,  about  the  break  of  day,  the  infernal  yells  of  a 
pack  of  blood-hounds  suddenly  rang  through  the  cavern,  and  the 
party  could  scarcely  seize  their  rifles  before  many  of  the  dogs, 
who  had  driven  in  the  affrighted  Indians  on  guard,  were  spring 
ing  at  their  throats.  Mr.  Huertis,  however,  the  American 
leader  of  the  expedition,  with  that  presence  of  mind  which  seems 
always  to  have  distinguished  him,  told  the  men  that  rifles  were 
useless  in  such  a  contest,  and  that  the  hounds  must  be  dispatched 
with  their  long  knives  as  fast  as  they  came  in,  while  the  fire-arms 
were  to  be  reserved  for  their  masters.  This  canine  butchery  was 
accomplished  with  but  little  difficulty ;  none  of  the  party- 
received  any  serious  injury  from  their  fangs  ;  and  the  Indians 
were  exhilarated  with  a  victory  which  was  chiefly  a  conquest  of 
their  fears.  These  unfortunate  dogs,  it  appears,  were  the  ad 
vanced  van  of  a  pack,  or  perhaps  merely  a  few  unleashed  as  scouts 
to  others  held  in  reserve  ;  for  no  more  were  seen  or  heard  for 
sometime.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  Huertis  seems  to  have  struck  out  a 
brilliant  scheme.  He  collected  his  whole  party  into  that  obscure 
branch  of  the  cavern,  near  its  entrance,  which  has  been  described 
as  a  depository  of  animal  bones,  and  ordering  them  to  sling  then 
rifles  at  their  backs,  bade  them  stand  ready  with  their  knives. 
Almost  instantly,  they  observed  a  party  of  ten  dismounted  na 
tives,  in  scarlet  tunics,  and  armed  with  spears,  enter  the  cavern 
in  single  file;  and,  it  would  seem,  from  seeing  the  dogs  slain  and 
no  enemy  in  sight,  they  rushed  out  again,  without  venturing  on 
farther  search.  In  a  few  minutes,  however,  they  returned  with 
forty  or  fifty  more,  in  the  same  uniform,  headed  by  the  younger 
of  the  two  personages  whom  they  had  seen  in  command  the  pre 
vious  evening.  As  soon  as  they  were  well  advanced  into  the 
cavern,  and  heard  disturbing  the  tired  mules,  Mr.  Huertis 


23 

and  his  party  marched  quietly  out  and  seized  their  horses,  which 
were  picketed  close  by,  in  charge  of  two  or  three  men,  whom 
they  disarmed.  At  a  short  distance,  however,  drawn  up  in  good 
order,  was  another  squadron  of  horses,  which  Mr.  Huertis  deter 
mined  instantly  to  charge.  Ordering  his  whole  party  to  mount 
the  noble  stallions  they  bad  captured,  and  reserve  their  fire  until 
he  gave  the  word,  he,  Velasquez,  and  Hammond,  drew  the  short 
.sabres  they  had  worn  on  their  march,  and  led  the  attack.  The 
uniformed  natives,  however,  did  not  wait  the  encounter,  but 
scattered  in  wonderment  and  consternation  ;  doubtless  under  the 
impression  that  all  their  comrades  had  been  slain.  But  the  rapid 
approach  of  a  much  larger  force — which  is  found,  eventually,  to 
have  consisted  of  two  detachments  of  fifty  each,  being  just  twice 
their  number — speedily  reassured  them,  and  falling  in  line  with 
this  powerful  reinforcement,  the  whole  hundred  and  fifty  charged 
upon  our  comparative  handful  of  travellers,  at  a  rapid  pace. 
Huertis  promptly  ordered  his  little  party  to  halt,  and  form  in, 
line,  two  deep,  with  presented  arms;  and  doubtless  feeling  that, 
notwithstanding  the  disparity  of  numbers,  the  enemy,  armed  only 
with  spears  and  small  side-hatchets,  held  but  a  slender  chance  of 
victory  over  a  party  of  thirty-eight — most  of  them  old  campaign 
ers  in  the  sanguinary  expeditions  of  the  terrible  Carrera — armed 
with  new  "six-shooting"  rifles  and  long  knives,  generously  com 
manded  them  to  keep  aim  upon  the  horses  only,  until  further 
orders.  In  the  meantime,  most  of  their  plumed  opponents,  in 
stead  of  using  their  long  spears  as  in  lance  practice,  threw  them 
through  the  air  from  so  great  a  distance  that  nearly  all  fell  short 
of  the  mark — an  infallible  indication  both  of  timidity  and  inex 
perience  in  action.  The  unfortunate  Mr.  Hammond,  however, 
was  pierced  through  the  right  breast,  and  another  of  the  party 
was  killed  by  being  transfixed  through  the  bowels.  At  this  instant 
Huertis  gave  the  word  to  fire  ;  and,  at  the  next,  no  small  number 
of  the  enemy  were  rolling  upon  the  sod,  amid  their  plunging 
horses.  A  second  rapid,  but  well  delivered  volley,  brought  down 
as  many  more,  when  the  rest,  in  attitudes  of  frantic  wonder  and 
terror,  unconsciously  dropped  their  weapons  and  fled  like  affright 
ed  fowls  under  the  sudden  swoop  of  the  kite.  Their  dispersion 
was  so  outrageously  wild  and  complete  that  no  two  of  them 
could  be  seen  together  as  they  radiated  over  the  plain.  The 
men  and  horses  seemed  impelled  alike  by  a  preternatural  panic  ; 
and  neither  Cortez  in  Mexico,  nor  Pizarro  in  Peru,  ever  wit- 


24 

nessed  greater  consternation  at  fire-arms  among  a  people,  who, 
for  the  first  time,  beheld  their  phenomena  and  effects — when 
mere  hundreds  of  invaders  easily  subjugated  millions  of  natives 
chiefly  by  this  appalling  influence — than  was  manifested  by  these 
Iximayans  on  this  occasion.  Indeed,  it  appears  that  these  prim 
itive  and  isolated  people,  holding  no  intercourse  whatever  with 
the  rest  of  mankind,  were  as  ignorant  as  their  ancestors  even  of 
the  existence  of  this  kind  of  weapons  ;  and  although  their 
modern  hieroglyphical  annals  were  found  to  contain  vague  allu 
sions  to  the  use  of  them  in  the  conquest  of  the  surrounding 
country,  by  means  of  a  peculiar  kind  of  thunder  and  lightning, 
and  several  old  Spanish  muskets  and  pistols  were  found  in  their 
scant  collection  of  foreign  curiosities,  yet,  not  even  the  most 
learned  of  their  priests  had  retained  the  slightest  notion  of  the 
uses  for  which  they  were  designed. 

While  this  summary  conflict  was  enacted  on  the  open  lawn  of 
the  forest,  the  dismounted  company  in  the  cavern  having  com 
pleted  their  fruitless  search  for  the  fugitives,  emerged  from  its 
portal  with  all  the  mules  and  baggage,  just  in  time  to  see  and 
hear  the  fiery  explosions  of  the  rifles  and  their  effect  upon  the 
whole  body  of  scarlet  cavalry.  The  entire  scene,  including  the 
mounted  possession  of  their  horses  by  uncouthly  attired  strangers, 
previously  invisible,  must  have  appeared  to  these  terror-stricken 
natives  an  achievement  of  supernatural  beings.  And  when  Mr. 
Huertis  wheeled  his  obstreperously  laughing  party  to  recover  his 
mules,  he>  found  most  of  the  astounded  men  prostrated  upon  their 
faces,  while  others,  more  self-possessed,  knelt  upon  the  bended 
knee,  and,  with  drooping  heads,  crossed  their  hands  behind  them 
to  receive  the  bonds  of  captives.  Their  gallant  and  gaily  ac 
coutred  young  chieftain,  however,  though  equally  astonished  and 
dismayed,  merely  surrendered  his  javelin  as  an  officer  would  his 
sword,  under  the  like  circumstances,  in  civilized  warfare.  But, 
with  admirable  tact  and  forethought,  Huertis  declined  to  accept 
it,  immediately  returning  it  with  the  most  profound  and  deffer- 
e-.itial  cordiality  of  manner.  He  at  the  same  time  informed 
him,  through  Velasquez,  that,  though  strangers,  his  party  were 
not  enemies  but  friendly  visitors,  who,  after  a  long  and  painful 
journey,  again  to  be  pursued,  desired  the  temporary  hospitality  of 
his  countrymen  in  their  magnificent  city. 


25 

The  young  chief  replied,  with  evident  discomposure  and  con 
cern,  that  his  countrymen  showed  no  hospitality  to  strangers,  it 
being  interdicted  by  their  laws  and  punishable  with  death  ;  that 
the  inhabitants  of  their  city  held  intercourse  only  with  the  pop 
ulation  of  the  surrounding  valley,  who  were  restricted  alike  by 
law  and  by  patriotism  from  ever  leaving  its  confines  ;  he  and  his 
fellow  soldiers  alone  being  privileged  to  visit  the  neighboring  re 
gions  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  intruders,  (cowana,)  and  escort 
ing  certain  kind  of  merchandize  which  they  exchanged  with  a 
people  of  their  own  race  in  an  adjoining  district.  He  added, 
with  much  eloquence  of  manner,  and  as  Velasquez  believed,  of 
language,  which  he  but  partially  understood,  that  the  independ 
ence  and  peace  of  his  nation,  who  were  a  peaceful  and  happy 
people,  depended  upon  these  severe  restrictions,  which  indeed 
had  been  the  only  means  of  preserving  it,  while  all  the  country 
besides,  from  sea  to  sea,  had  bowed  to  a  foreign  yoke,  and  seen 
their  ancient  cities,  once  the  seats  and  centres  of  mighty  empires, 
orergrown  with  forest,  and  the  temples  of  their  gods  demolished. 

He  further  added,  says  Velasquez,  in  a  very  subdued  but  sig 
nificant  tone,  that  some  few  strangers,  it  was  true,  had  been 
taken  to  the  city  by  its  guards  in  the  course  of  many  generations, 
but  that  none  of  them  had  been  allowed  an  opportunity  of  be 
traying  its  existence  and  locality  to  the  cruel  rapacity  of  the 
foreign  race.  He  concluded  by  earnestly  entreating  them,  since 
he  could  not  compel  them  as  prisoners,  to  enter  the  city  as 
friends,  with  the  view  of  residing  there  for  life ;  promising  them 
wives,  and  dwellings,  and  honors ;  for  even  now,  if  they  at 
tempted  to  retreat,  they  would  be  overtaken  by  thousands  of 
armed  men  on  fleet  horses,  that  would  overpower  them  by  their 
numbers  and  subject  them  to  a  very  different  fate. 

Mr.  Huertis  rejoined,  through  the  same  interpreter,  that  he 
could  destroy  any  number  of  armed  men,  on  the  swiftest  horses, 
before  they  could  approach  him,  as  the  chief  had  already  seen  ; 
and  since  he  could  enforce  his  exit  from  the  city  whenever  he 
thought  proper,  he  would  enter  it  upon  his  own  terms,  either  aa 
a  conqueror,  or  as  a  friend,  according  to  the  reception  he  met 
with ;  that  there  was  now  no  race  of  conquerors  to  whom  the  city 


26 

could  be  betrayed,  even  if  he  were  disposed  to  do  so,  as  the  peo 
ple  of  the  whole  country,  of  all  races,  were  now  living  in  a  state 
of  perfect  freedom  and  equality  ;  and  that,  therefore,  there  was 
no  necessity  for  those  unsocial  and  sanguinary  laws  which  se 
cluded  the  Iximayans  from  friendly  intercourse  with  their  fellow- 
men.  Saying  which,  and  without  waiting  for  further  colloquy, 
he  ordered  his  party  to  dismount,  restore  the  horses  to  their 
owners,  and  march  with  the  train  of  mules  toward  the  city,  in 
the  usual  style  of  travel.  With  this  order,  his  Indians  complied 
very  reluctantly,  but  on  assuring  them  that  it  was  a  matter  of  the 
highest  policy,  they  evinced  their  wonted  confidence  in  his  judg 
ment  and  ability.  To  the  young  chief  he  restored  his  own  richly 
caparisoned  steed,  which  had  fallen  to  the  lot  of  the  unfortunate 
Mr.  Hammond,  who  was  now  lying  desperately  wounded,  in  the 
care  of  the  faithful  Antonio.  For  himself  and  Senor  Velasquez, 
Mr.  Huertis  retained  the  horses  they  had  first  seized,  and  placing 
themselves  on  each  side  of  the  Iximayan  commander,  with  then* 
friend  Hammond  borne  immediately  behind  them,  in  one  of  the 
cane  couches  of  the  cavern,  on  the  backs  of  two  mules  yoked  to 
gether,  they  advanced  to  the  head  of  their  party,  while  the  red 
troopers,  followed  by  the  surviving  bloodhounds  leashed  in  couples, 
brought  up  the  rear.  Huertis,  however,  had  taken  the  precaution 
to  add  the  spears  and  hatchets  of  these  men  to  the  burdens  of 
the  forward  mules,  to  abide  the  event  of  his  reception  at  the  city 
gates.  The  appearance  of  the  whole  cavalcade  must  have  been 
unique  and  picturesque  ;  for  Velasquez  informs  us,  that  while  he 
wore  the  uniform  of  a  military  company  to  which  he  belonged  in 
San  Salvador,  much  enhanced  in  effect  by  some  brilliant  additions, 
and  crowned  with  a  broad  sombrero  and  plume,  Huertis  wore 
that  of  an  American  naval  commander,  with  gold  epaulettes  ;' 
his  riflemen  and  muleteers  generally  were  clothed  in  blue  cotton 
and  grass  hats,  while  the  native  cavalry,  in  the  brilliant  tunics  and 
feathered  coronals,  already  described,  must  have  completed  the 
diversity  of  the  variegated  cortege.  Had  poor  Hammond  been 
mounted  among  them,  his  costume  would  have  been  as  equivocal 
as  his  new  complexion,  for  he  had  attired  himself  in  the  scarlet 
coat  of  a  British  officer  of  rank,  with  several  blazing  stars  of 
glass  jewels,  surmounted  by  a  white  Panama  hat,  in  which  clus 
tered  an  airy  profusion  of  ladies'  ostrich  feathers,  dyed  blue  at 
the  edges. 


27 

In  passing  the  spot  of  the  recent  skirmish,  they  found  that 
nine  horses  and  two  men  had  been  killed,  the  latter  unintention 
ally,  besides  the  rifleman  of  their  own  party.  Many  other  horses 
were  lying  wounded,  in  the  struggles  of  death,  and  several  of 
their  riders  were  seated  on  the  ground,  disabled  by  bruises  or 
dislocations.  Huertis'  men  buried  their  eomrades  in  a  grave 
hastily  dug  with  the  spears  which  lay  around  him,  while  the 
Iximayans  laid  their  dead  and  wounded  upon  horses,  to  be  con 
veyed  to  a  village  on  the  plain.  The  former,  it  was  found,  were 
consumed  there  the  next  day,  in  funereal  fires,  with  idolatrous 
rites;  and  it  was  observed  by  the  travellers  that  the  native  soldiers 
regarded  their  dead  with  emotions  of  extreme  sensibility,  and 
almost  feminine  grief,  like  men  wholly  unaccustomed  to  scenes  of 
violent  death.  But  Velasquez  remarks,  that  the  strongest  emo 
tion  evinced  by  the  young  chief,  throughout  their  intercourse, 
was  when  he  heard  the  word  "  Jximaya,"  in  interpreting  for 
Huertis.  He  then  seemed  to  be  smitten  and  subdued,  by  blank 
despair,  as  if  he  felt  that  the  city  and  its  location  were  already 
familiarly  known  to  the  foreign  world. 

As  already  intimated,  the  distance  to  the  city  was  about  six 
miles.  The  expedition  found  the  road  to  it  bordered,  on  either 
side,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  with  a  profuse  and  valuable 
vegetation,  the  result  of  evidently  assiduous  and  skilful  culture. 
Indigo,  corn,  oats,  a  curious  five-eared  wheat,  gourds,  pine-apples 
esculent  roots,  pulse,  flax,  and  hemp,  the  white  as  well  as  the 
crimson  cotton,  vineyards,  and  fruit  orchards,  grew  luxuriantly 
in  large,  regularly  divided  fields,  which  were  now  ripe  for  the 
harvest.  The  villages,  large  and  populous,  were  mostly  com 
posed  of  flat-roofed  dwellings  with  broad  overhanging  eaves  or 
architraves,  supported  by  heavy  columns,  often  filletted  over 
spiral  flutings,  in  the  Egyptian  style,  and  generally  terminating 
in  foliaged  capitals,  of  the  same  character.  None  of  the  houses 
were  mean,  while  many  were  superb  ;  and  of  the  mosque-like 
larger  buildings,  which  occasionally  appeared,  and  which  were 
supposed  to  be  rural  temples,  some  were  grand  and  imposing. 
A  profusion  of  bold  sculpture,  was  the  prevailing  characteristic, 
and  perhaps  defect,  of  all.  The  inhabitants,  who  thronged  the 
wayside  in  great  numbers,  appeared  excited  with  surprise  and  ex 
ultation,  on  beholding  the  large  company  of  strangers  apparently 
la  the  custody  of  their  military,  while  the  disarmed  condition  of 


28 

the  latter,  and  the  bodies  of  the  slain,  were  a  mystery  they  could 
not  explain.  Many  of  the  husbandmen  were  observed  to  be  in 
possession  of  bows  and  arrows,  and  some  of  the  women  held  rusty 
spears.  The  predominant  costume  of  both  sexes  was  a  pale  blue 
tunic,  gathered  in  at  the  breast  and  descending  to  the  knee,  with 
reticulated  buskins,  of  red  cord,  covering  the  calf  of  the  leg. 
The  women,  with  few  exceptions,  were  of  fine  form,  and  the  high 
est  order  of  Indian  beauty,  with  an  extraordinary  affluence  of 
black  hair,  tastefully  disposed,  and  decorated  with  plumes  and 
flowers.  At  the  village  where  the  dead  and  wounded  were  left, 
with  their  relatives  and  friends,  doleful  lamentations  were  heard, 
until  the  expedition  approached  the  city. 

The  walls  of  this  metropolis  were  sixty  feet  high,  sloping  in 
ward  from  the  foundation,  surmounted  by  a  parapet  which  over 
hung  in  a  concave  curve  and  rested  upon  a  plain  moulding. 
They  were  evidently  a  massive  work  of  a  remote  period,  for 
although  constructed  of  large  blocks  of  granitic  stone,  white  and 
glittering  in  the  sun,  passing  ages  had  corroded  rough  crevices 
between  the  layers,  and  the  once  perfect  cornices  had  become 
indented  by  the  tooth  of  time.  The  sculptured  annals  of  the 
city  recorded  them  an  antiquity  of  four  thousand  years.  They 
formed  a  parallelogram  four  miles  long  and  three  in  width,  thus 
inclosing  an  area  of  nearly  twelve  square  miles,  and  they  breasted 
the  cardinal  points  of  the  horizon  with  a  single  gate,  or  propylon, 
midway  on  every  side.  On  approaching  the  eastern  gate,  the 
travellers  discovered  that  the  foundations  of  the  walls  were  laid 
in  a  deep  foss  or  moat  a  hundred  feet  wide,  nearly  full  to  its 
brink  and  abounding  with  water-fowl.  It  was  replenished  from 
the  mountains,  and  discharged  its  surplus  waters  into  the  lakes 
of  the  valley.  It  was  to  be  crossed  by  a  draw-bridge  now  raised 
over  the  gate,  and  the  parapet  was  thronged  with  the  populace 
to  behold  the  entrance  of  so  large  a  number  of  strangers  for 
whom  there  was  no  return. 

At  a  signal  from  the  young  chief,  the  bridge  slowly  descended 
and  the  cavalcade  passed  over  ;  but  the  folding  gates,  which 
were  composed  of  blocks  of  stone  curiously  dovetailed  together, 
and  which  revolved  upon  hinges  of  the  same  material  by  a  ball 
and  socket  contrivance  above  and  below,  were  not  yet  opened, 
and  the  party  were  detained  on  the  bridge.  A  small  oyal  orifice 


29 

only  appeared,  less  than  a  human  face,  and  a  ear  was  applied 
there  to  receive  an  expected  word  in  a  whisper.  This  complied 
with,  the  ponderous  gates  unfolded,  and  a  visla  of  solemn  mag 
nificence  was  presented  to  the  view.  It  was  a  vista  at  once  of 
colossal  statues  and  trees,  interminable  in  perspective  and  extend 
ing,  as  it  was  found,  the  whole  length  of  the  city  to  its  western 
gate.  Incredible  as  it  may  be,  until  we  reflect  upon  the  ancient 
statuary  of  the  eastern  world,  Velasquez  reports  each  and  all  of 
these  monuments  as  being  exactly  of  the  height  of  the  city  wall, 
that  is,  sixty  feet,  and  all  possessing  the  proportions  of  the  hu 
man  figure.  He  adds,  what  is  equally  marvelous,  that  no  two  of 
them  were  precisely  alike  in  countenance,  and  very  few  in  their 
sculptural  costume.  There  was  some  distinctive  emblem  upon 
each,  and  he  was  informed  that  they  were  statues  of  the  ancient 
kings  of  Assyria,  from  before  the  foundation  of  Babylon,  and  of 
their  descendants  in  the  Aztec  empires  of  this  continent.  They 
stood  sixty  feet  apart,  with  a  smaller  monument  of  some  mytho 
logical  animal  between  each,  and  were  said  to  number  one  hun 
dred  and  fifte*t,  on  each  side  of  the.  avenue  they  formedj  which 
was  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  width.  A  similar  but  shorter 
avenue,  it  appears,  crossed  the  city  from  north  to  south,  having 
a  proportional  number  of  such  monuments  through  its  entire  ex 
tent  ;  and  these  two  grand  avenues  ran  through  wide  areas  of 
green  sward  richly  grouped  with  lofty  trees.  But  the  translator 
finds  himself  trespassing  upon  forbidden  ground  and  must  for 
bear. 

As  the  cavalcade  advanced  through  this  highway  to  the  centre 
of  the  city,  they  found  it  crowded  on  each  side  with  the  masses 
of  the  population  assembled  to  behold  a  spectacle  so  unprece 
dented  and  mysterious  ;  but  the  utmost  order  prevailed  and  even 
the  silence  was  profound.  The  news  of  the  slaughter  and  dis- 
person  of  their  military  guardians,  by  an  army  of  strangers, 
wielding  deadly  weapons  of  fire  and  smoke,  had  already  ran 
through  every  quarter  of  the  city  with  increasing  exaggeration 
and  terror  ;  but  the  people  wisely  left  its  investigation  to  their 
constituted  authorities,  and  were  rendered  comparatively  tran 
quil  by  their  personal  observation  of  its  actual  results.  Arrived 
at  the  quadrated  point,  where  the  two  great  avenues  we  have 
described  intersect,  Mr.  Huertis  boldly  demanded  of  his  guide 
the  further  course  and  character  of  his  destination.  He  was  an- 


30 

swered  by  his  dignified  companion,  that  he  would  be  conducted  to 
the  building  immediately  before  him,  which  is  described  as  one 
of  majestic  dimensions  and  style,  where  the  monarch  of  the  nation 
daily  assembled  with  his  councillors,  at  the  hour  of  noon,  to  ad 
minister  justice  and  listen  to  complaints.  In  the  meantime,  his 
wounded  friend  could  be  placed  in  a  state  of  greater  ease  and  re 
pose,  in  one  of  the  appartmenls  of  the  edifice,  while  the  mules 
and  baggage  could  be  disposed  of  in  its  basement  vaults.  When 
this  was  accomplished  the  hours  of  audience  had  arrived. 

The  entire  party  of  strangers,  with  the  young  cfricf  and  seve 
ral  of  his  subordinates,  were  then  led  into  a  large  and  lofty  hall, 
surrounded  by  columns,  and  displaying  three  raised  seats  covered 
with  canopies  of  rich  drapery  and  design.  On  the  one  of  these, 
which  stood  at  the  eastern  end,  sat  the  monarch  himself,  a  per 
sonage  of  grave  but  benignant  aspect,  about  sixty  years  of  age, 
arrayed  in  scarlet  and  gold,  and  having  a  golden  image  of  the 
rising  sun,  of  extraordinary  splendor,  displayed  on  the  back  of 
his  throne.  On  the  seat  on  the  southern  side,  sat  a  venerable 
man  of  advanced  age,  not  less  gorgeously  attired ;  and  the  seat 
at  the  western  end  was  occupied  by  a  functionary  of  similar  years 
and  costume.  Around  the  apartment,  and  especially  around  the 
steps  of  the  throne,  sat  other  grave  looking  men,  in  scarlet  robes. 
Huertis,  Velasquez,  and  their  Indians,  still  carrying  their  loaded 
rifles,  of  which  he  had  not  suffered  them  to  be  deprived,  stood 
on  the  left  side  of  the  monarch,  and  the  young  chief  and  his  sol 
diers  on  the  right.  The  latter  gave  his  statement  with  truth  and 
manly  candour,  although  the  facts  which  he  averred  seemed  to 
fill  the  whole  council  with  amazement,  and  left  a  settled  gloom 
upon  the  imperial  brow.  The  whole  proceeding  possesses  great 
interest  in  Velasquez's  narrative,  but  we  can  only  briefly  state 
that  it  resulted  in  the  decision,  which  was  concurred  in  by  the 
associate  councillors,  that  the  strangers  having  magnanimously 
released  and  restored  the  company  of  guards,  after  they  had  sur 
rendered  themselves  prisoners ;  and  having  voluntarily  entered 
the  city  in  a  peaceable  manner,  when  they  might  possibly  have 
effected  their  escape,  were  entitled  to  their  personal  freedom, 
within  the  limits  of  the  city,  and  might  eventually,  under  vo 
luntary  but  indispensible  obligations,  become  eligible  to  all  the 
privileges  of  citizenship,  within  the  samo  limits.  In  the  mean 


31 

time,  they  were  to  be  maintained  as  pensioners  of  state,  on  con 
dition  that  they  made  no  use  of  their  dangerous  weapons,  nor 
exhibited  them  to  terrify  the  people.  With  this  decision,  Huertis 
and  his  companions  were  perfectly  satisfied,  for  the  latter  had 
undiminishcd  confidence  in  his  ability  and  determination  to  achieve 
their  escape,  as  soon  as  he  should  have  accomplished  the  scientific 
objects  of  his  expedition.  On  leaving  the  hall  of  justice,  they 
observed  the  elder  military  chief,  of  whom  a  slight  mention  has 
been  made,  brought  in  with  two  others  of  inferior  rank ;  and  it 
was  afterwards  currently  reported  that  they  had  been  sentenced 
to  close  imprisonment.  It  was,  also,  ascertained  by  Velasquez,  that 
the  four  companies  of  rangers,  already  noticed,  composing  a  regi 
ment  of  two  hundred  men,  constituted  the  whole  military  force  of 
this  timid  and  peaceful  people. 

From  this  point,  our  abstract  of  the  narrative  must  be  chiefly 
a  brief  catalogue  of  the  most  important  of  the  concluding  events. 
The  place  of  residence  assigned  to  our  travellers,  was  the  vacant 
wing  of  a  spacious  and  sumptuous  structure,  at  the  western  extrem 
ity  of  the  city,  which  had  been  appropriated,  from  time  immemo 
rial,  to  the  surviving  remnant  of  an  ancient  and  singular  order 
of  priesthood  called  Kaanas,  which,  it  was  distinctly  asserted 
in  their  annals  and  traditions,  had  accompanied  the  first  migration 
of  this  people  from  the  Assyrian  plains.  Their  peculiar  and 
strongly  destinctive  lineaments,  it  is  now  perfectly  well  ascer 
tained  are  to  be  traced  in  many  of  the  sculptured  monuments  of 
the  central  American  ruins,  and  were  fotml  still  more  abundantly 
on  those  of  Iximaya.  Forbidden,  by  inviolably  sacred  laws,  from 
intermarrying  with  any  persons  but  those  of  their  own  caste,  they 
had  here  dwindled  down,  in  the  course  of  many  centuries,  to  a 
few  insignificant  individuals,  diminutive  in  stature,  and  imbecile 
in  intellect.  They  were,  nevertheless,  held  in  high  veneration 
and  affection  by  the  whole  Iximayan  community,  probably  as 
living  specimens  of  an  antique  race  so  nearly  extinct.  Their 
position,  as  an  order  of  priesthood,  it  is  now  known,  had  nofc 
been  higher,  for  many  ages,  if  ever,  than  that  of  religious  mimes 
and  bacchanals,  in  a  certain  class  of  pagan  ceremonies,  highly 
popular  with  the  multitude.  This,  indeed,  is  evident  from  their 
characteristics  in  the  sculptures.  Their  ancient  college,  or  hos 
pital,  otherwise  vacant  and  forlorn,  was  now  chiefly  occupied  by 
*  much  higher  order  of  priests,  called  Mahaboons,  who  were 


32 

their  legal  and  sacerdotal  guardians.  With  a  Yachin,  one  of  the 
junior  brethren  of  this  order,  named  Vaalpeor,  a  young  man  of 
superior  intellect  and  attainments,  Velasquez  soon  cultivated  a 
friendly  and  confidential  acquaintance,  which  proved  reciprocal 
and  faithful.  And  while  Huertis  was  devoting  all  his  time  and 
energies  to  the  antiquities,  hieroglyphics,  ethnology,  science, 
pantheism,  theogony,  arts,  manufactures,  and  social  institutions 
of  this  unknown  city  and  people,  the  ear  of  this  young  pagan 
priest  was  as  eagerly  imbibing,  from  the  wiley  lips  of  Velasquez, 
a  similar  knowledge  of  the  world  at  large,  to  him  equally  new  and 
enchanting.  If  Huertis  had  toiled  so  severely,  and  hazarded 
so  much,  both  as  to  himself  and  companions,  to  acquire  a  know 
ledge  of  this  one  city  and  people,  it  soon  became  clear  to  the 
penetrating  mind  of  Velasquez,  that  Vaalpeor  possessed  enough 
both  of  mental  ambition  and  personal  energy  to  incur  equal  toil 
and  risk  to  learn  the  wonders  of  the  cities  and  races  of  the  greater 
nations  of  mankind.  Indeed,  this  desire  evidently  glowed  in  his 
breast  with  a  consuming  fervor,  and  when  Velasquez,  after  due 
observation  proposed  the  liberation  of  the  whole  expedition,  with 
Vaalpeor  himself,  as  its  protected  companion,  the  now  consciously 
imprisoned  pagan,  horror-stricken  at  first,  regarded  the  proposi 
tion  with  complacency,  and  finally,  with  a  degree  of  delight,  re 
gardless  of  consequences.  It  was,  however,  mutually  agreed 
that  the  design  should  be  kept  secret  from  Huertis,  until  ripe  for 
success.  A  serious  obstacle  existed  in  his  plighted  guardianship 
of  the  Kaana  children,  whom  he  could  abandon  only  with  his 
life  ;  but  even  this  was  not  deemed  insurmountable. 

In  the  meantime,  Huertis,  to  facilitate  his  own  objects,  had 
prevailed  upon  his  entire  party  to  conform  in  dress  and  habits 
with  the  community  in  which  they  lived.  The  city  was  surroun 
ded  on  all  sides  by  a  lofty  colonade,  sustaining  the  upper  esplan 
ade  of  the  city  walls,  and  forming  a  broad  covered  walk  beneath, 
in  which  the  population  could  promenade,  sheltered  from  sun  and 
shower.  In  these  places  of  general  resort,  the  new  citizens  ap 
peared  daily,  until  they  had  become  familiarly  known  to  the 
greater  part  of  the  eighty-five  thousand  inhabitants  of  the  city. 
Huertis,  moreover,  had  formed  domestic  and  social  connexions  ; 
was 'the  welcome  guest  of  families  of  the  highest  rank,  who  were 
fascinated  with  the  information  he  afforded  them  of  the  external 
world  j  had  made  tacit  converts  to  liberty  of  many  influential 


33 

persons  ;  had  visited  each  of  the  four  grand  temples  which  stood 
ia  the  centre  of  the  several  quadrangular  divisions  of  the  city, 
and  externally  conformed  to  their  idolatrous  worship.  He  had 
even  been  admitted  into  some  of  the  most  sacred  mysteries  of 
these  temples,  while  Velasquez,  more  retired,  and  avowedly  more 
scrupulous,  was  content  to  receive  the  knowledge  thus  acquired, 
iu  long  conversations  hy  the  sick  couch  of  poor  Hammond,  now 
rapidly  declining  to  the  grave. 

Mr.  Hammond's  dreadful  wound  had  but  partially  healed  in  the 
course  of  several  months  ;  his  constitution  was  exhausted,  and  he 
was  dying  of  remittent  fever  and  debility.  His  chief  regret  was 
that  he  could  not  assist  his  friend  Huertis  in  his  researches  and 
drawings,  and  determine  the  place  of  the  city  by  astronomical  ob 
servations  which  his  friends  were  unable  to  take.  The  day  be 
fore  he  died,  he  was  visited  by  some  of  the  medical  priesthood? 
who,  on  seeing  numerous  light  spots  upon  his  skin,  where  the  pre 
paration  with  which  he  had  stained  it  had  disappeared,  they  pro 
nounced  him  a  leper,  and  ordered  that  all  intercourse  with  the 
building  should  be  suspended.  No  explanation  would  convince 
them  to  the  contrary,  and  his  death  confirmed  them  in  their 
opinion.  Availing  himself  of  this  opportunity,  and  under  the 
plea  that  it  was  important  to  their  safety,  Vaalpeor  removed  the 
two  orphan  children  in  his  charge  to  one  of  the  country  temples 
in  the  plain,  and  the  idle  mules  of  the  strangers  were  employed  to 
carry  tents,  couches,  and  other  bulky  requisites  for  an  unprovi 
ded  rural  residence.  It  may  be  added  that  he  included  among 
them  much  of  the  baggage  of  his  new  friends,  with  the  greater 
part  of  their  rules  and  amunition.  In  the  mean  time  Huertis, 
Velasquez,  and  about  half  of  their  party,  were  closely  confined  to 
the  part  of  the  edifice  assigned  for  their  occupation.  Their 
friend  Hammond  had  been  interred  without  the  walls,  in  a  field 
apropriated  to  lepers  by  the  civic  authorities.  Huertis,  was 
now  informed  of  the  plan  of  escape,  but  was  not  ready  ;  he  had 
more  daguerreotype  views  to  take,  and  many  curiosities  to  collect. 
The  interdicted  period  of  nine  days  having  expired,  the  young 
priest,  who  had  free  access  to  the  city  at  all  times,  again  appeared 
at  their  abode  and  urged  an  early  retreat,  as  the  return  of  the 
orphan  children  would  soon  be  required.  But  Huertis  was  abroad 
in  the  city  and  could  not  be  consulted.  He  remained  absent  all 
the  day,  and  did  not  return  to  his  appartments  at  night.  It  was 


34 

«o  all  the  next  day  and  night,  and  Valasquez  was  deeply  alarmed. 
On  searching  his  rooms  for  his  papers,  drawings  and  instruments, 
for  secret  transmital  into  the  country,  he  found  them  all  remov 
ed,  including  those  of  Mr.  Hammond  which  were  among  them. 
It  was  then  vainly  hoped  that  he  had  effected  his  escape  with  all 
his  treasures,  but  his  Indians  knew  nothing  of  the  matter. 

Shortly  after  this  discovery,  Vaalpeor  arrived  with  its  explana 
tion.  Huertis  had  made  a  confidant  of  his  intended  flight  whom 
he  idly  hoped  would  accompany  it,  and  she  had  betrayed  him. 
His  offence,  after  his  voluntary  vows,  and  his  initiation  into  tha 
sacred  mysteries,  was  unpardonable,  and  his  fate  could  not  be 
doubted.  Indeed,  the  trembling  priest  at  length  admitted  that 
he  had  been  sacrificed  in  due  form  upon  the  high  altar  of  the 
sun,  and  that  he  himself  had  beheld  the  fatal  ceremony.  Huer- 
tis,  however,  had  implicated  none  of  his  associates,  and  there  was 
yet  a  chance  of  escape.  To  pass  the  gates  was  impossible  ;  but 
the  wall  might  be  descended  in  the  night  by  ropes,  and  to  swim 
the  moat  was  easy.  This  was  effected  by  Velasquez  and  fifteen 
of  his  party  thejSame  night ;  the  rest  either  did  not  make  the 
attempt  or  failed,  and  the  faithful  Antonio  was  among  them. 
The  fugitives  had  scarcely  reached  the  secluded  retreat  of  Vaal 
peor,  and  mounted  their  mules,  before  the  low  yelp  of  blood 
hounds  was  heard  upon  their  trail  and  soon  burst  into  full  cry. 
But  the  dogs  were  somewhat  confused  by  the  scent  of  so  many 
footsteps  on  the  spot  at  which  the  party  mounted,  and  did  not 
follow  the  mules  until  the  horsemen  led  the  way.  This  afforded 
time  for  the  fugitives,  racing  their  swift  mules  at  full  speed,  to 
reach  the  opening  of  the  valley,  when  Velasquez  wheeled  and 
halted,  for  the  pursuers  were  close  at  hand.  A  conflict  ensued 
in  which  many  of  the  horsemen  were  slain,  and  the  young  kaana 
received  an  accidental  wound  of  which  he  retains  the  scar.  It 
must  suffice  to  say,  that  the  party  eventually  secured  their  retreat 
without  loss  of  life  ;  and  by  break  of  day  they  were  on  a  moun 
tainous  ridge  many  leagues  from  Iximaya.  In  about  fourteen 
days,  they  reached  Ocosingo,  after  great  suffering.  Here  Velas 
quez  reluctantly  parted  with  most  of  his  faithful  Indians,  and 
here  also  died  Vaalpeor,  from  the  unaccustomed  toil  and  depri 
vations  of  the  journey.  Velasquez,  with  the  two  Aztec  children, 
did  not  reach  San  Salvador  until  the  middle  of  February,  when 


35 

they  became  objects  of  the  highest  interest  to  the  most  intel 
lectual  classes  of  that  city.  As  the  greatest  ethnological  cu 
riosities  in  living  form,  that  ever  appeared  among  civilised 
men,  he  was  advised  .to  send  them  to  Europe  for  exhibition. 
With  this  view  they  were  taken  to  Grenada  where  they  re 
mained  the  objects  of  much  local  curiosity,  until  it  was 
deemed  proper  and  advisable  first  to  exhibit  them  to  the  peo 
ple  of  the  United  States.  The  parties  whom  Senor  Velas 
quez  first  appointed  as  their  temporary  guardians  brought 
them  to  New  York  via  Jamaica,  and  they  will  no  doubt  at 
tract  and  reward  universal  attention.  They  are  supposed  to 
be  eight  and  ten  years  of  age,  and  both  are  lively,  playful  and 
affectionate.  But  it  is  as  specimens  of  an  absolutely  unique 
and  nearly  extinct  race  of  mankind  that  they  claim  the  at 
tention  of  Physiologists  and  all  men  of  science. 


APR  2  3  1976 


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